Wichita eagle., 1887-07-23
THE PROPOSED NEW FLAG.
The Speech of Major Mccarthy at Rich
mond to a Visiting Grand
ARMY Post.


worn itself away with the frantic efforts OF
ner was again run up to the head of the
staff and peace bro be out everywhere. In
this presence and in this happy era it is
hard to realize that there was time when
| sincerely hated as the emblem of oppres-
sion and as the flag of deadly foe, the
Star Spangled Banner! That 1t once typ
flied to me everything hateful, despicable
and tyranical 1t is hard to recall with
vivid reality the fact that there was time
when the Confederate battle flag gathered
volleys of bullets and curses wherever ii
floated. The loyal sons of the North aimed
death at it and the men who bore it. 1t
floated bravely and sometimes VIGOROUSLY
over sulphurous fields, and to our eye was
as the plume ia the helmet of Liberty. We
loved the brave old battle flag and hated
tine beauty and grace of the stars and
stripes. You hated the red rebel rag and
saw In the streaming, waving, rustling,
shining Star SprangIed Banner thing of
wondrous beauty, a JOY forever, fit OBJ
iect of alteration. | begin to approve
again.the national colors 1t Is pretty
flag, and flies over brave and great PEG.
pie. I, well, | love the old flsg-and-
| would like to-improve it. Can't you
fellows who fought and captured the Con
federate battle flag so much, now that you
have had time to think over it, and have
seen and understood the men who carried
it-can't YOU see that it is not such an
awfully bad, ugly old thing as you thought
1t was
honestly believe the people of the north
thought they were right, and for that rea
son | can forgive them. | have forgiven
them; and you have forgiven us. Good
The hope of the country is in the men who
carried arms The people of the north
and of the south are hopelessly. affection.
ately and irrevocably mixed up Why not
mix up the flags and put an end at once to
the war and to the bowling fanatics? The
Star Spangled Banner is today the bravest
and the purest flag that waves. 1t repre-
sents a land of liberty and brave people
You know what it Is and will doubtless
Join me in the sentiment: Long may she
wave" The Confederate battle flag can
rot be forgotten. 1t foated over valor,
devotion and heroic sacrifice. 1t heard the
shouts of victory ~ fought it, way to a
place in the worlds history. In with the
southern cross, then? Let the Confederate
battle flag be part of the national
colors. Mix the flags and what brave
Unlrn flag it would be. Up with Union
flag that will declare to the civilized world
that here we have country full of union,
peace, liberty, equality and fraternity I'm
der that flag bngle call would assemble
an army able and willing to meet q world
iu arms and with victory already perched
upon lis banners Foes without nor foes
within could brrak the line over which
Fl ,attd the grand reunion banner. Up with
il anu let the world beware how 1t shakes
its fist or makes a face at the crest Ameri-
can flag. with North, South, an last
and West, all shouting the battle cry OF
freedom. Put the battle flag where 1t viii
DO the most good TO the most people, for
the longest time; where 1t will commfngte
In imperishsbie union the patriot blood OF
the blue and the gray. All honor to the
man Of the north who VIII hrst
suggest, urge and secure the crowniDg
glory for the American soldier-and l now
pronounce him in advance, peacemaker ex
trsordinary to his imperial majesty, the
American people The Upion Is no longer
a mere sentiment, but 8 ligament such as
bound the Siamese twins One flag, one
uniform. one source Of authority Is the
loysl and uefiiuching demand of the south
A union of hearts, Of heads and Of indtsso-
luble bands. There Is no middle ground
between state sovereignty and absolute
National unification. And stsie Sovereignty
is dead. II we have decided TO abandon q
federation. and have instead modified,
unified. perpetual union, single national
existence, why, then. let Us all face the
music Away with sll petty sovereignties,
north and south
The South Is in the saddle for the Union
forever. Safe constitutions are null and
void at every point where they are not
within the ,imi, of the constitution and the